Villeray residents come to the defense of the Tsikinis fruit store, which they consider a neighborhood institution, while its future is uncertain. The owner of the commercial premises she occupies, who is a shareholder in a new neighboring fruit store, wants to practically double his rent.
When she saw on Instagram the publication of an individual claiming that her favorite fruit store was going to close, Élise Dubuc was worried. To find out more, she posted a message on a neighborhood Facebook group. “Does anyone have any information on this?” she asked.
His poll garnered 120 comments. Some citizens have researched and revealed that Holding Rubino, which has partly owned the building in which Tsikinis is located for a few months, is the second largest shareholder of Freshly Good. This is a small chain of four Montreal grocery stores, with a more modern and refined style, which has opened a branch about a block further on rue Jarry.
Some citizens have called for a boycott of Fraîchement bon, accusing it of unfair practices. The business received a deluge of negative reviews on Google within hours. A Facebook group “Sauvons Tsikinis” attracted 143 members.
Zachary T. Gauthier, for his part, sent a letter to elected municipal officials and to the MP for the riding in the hope that they could adopt measures to protect merchants.
“I’ve been going to this fruit shop since I was little. It’s a special place for me,” explained Mr. Gauthier in an interview.
Still hope
The owner of the Tsikinis fruit store indicated that everything was not yet settled. Tuesday, he did not want to give an interview, saying he was still negotiating about his rent.
Holding Rubino chairman Gerardo Rubino confirmed that his company, together with management company MTRPL, had asked Tsikinis for a rent hike.
“She pays around $3,000 a month. If we look at current prices, she should pay between $5,000 and $6,000,” he said.
He assures that he never intended to evict the neighborhood fruit store, since he has “every interest in having tenants” and that he has not planned a replacement.
“With the explosion of taxes, insurance, filthy interest rates, we have no choice but to have a rental rate at the market level,” added Mr. Rubino. Rent increases have also been agreed with two restaurants located in the same building. He claims that Fraîchement bon, who is also his tenant, is already paying what is considered to be market rent, around $13,000 per month for about twice the area of the Tsikinis.
When he heard of a public outcry, Mr. Rubino said he called MTRPL in a panic to find out why talks with Tsikinis had still not borne fruit. He says the managers went to meet the owner of the fruit store on Tuesday.
Space for several fruit shops
Above all, Mr. Rubino wanted to make it clear that Fraîchement bon, directed by his brother-in-law François-Karl Viau, has nothing to do with this story. This is also what Mr. Viau said.
“I saw on social networks that people [interpellaient] saying that we had bought the building opposite to raise rents and eliminate competition. But I have no interest in real estate. I don’t want people to think that we have practices like that, ”he said.
According to Mr. Viau, there is room in the neighborhood for several fruit stores, which do not necessarily have the same clientele.
What explains that this episode has raised so many passions? There seems to be, on the one hand, the fear that the gentrification of Villeray will lead to the disappearance of pioneer businesses. “The owners know everyone, they call us by our names. They contribute to the sense of belonging to the neighborhood,” says Chrissy Diavatopoulos, a mobilized resident.
Beyond this attachment, the context of inflation makes people fear that an increase in grocery store rents could lead to an increase in food prices, says Élise Dubuc. However, Tsikinis is renowned for offering low prices to its customers.